Mumbai civic body revokes two-day meat sale ban

Facing flak, the local civic body today revoked its controversial decision to ban sale of meat in Mumbai on two days during the Jain festival of 'Paryushan'.
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) had earlier decided to prohibit sale of meat on September 13 and 18 during the Jain fasting festival which began today. However, a separate two-day ban imposed by the BJP-led government in Maharashtra remains in force.
As the MCGM move sparked a row and attracted criticism, the municipal body moved a proposal to revoke the ban.
"We today called a special meeting, where we submitted a proposal that the meat ban circular of MCGM, which called for a two-day ban on selling meat, should be revoked.

"The proposal was cleared. We have requested the Mayor to direct the administration to revoke the ban. All Shiv Sena Corporators along with those from other parties supported the proposal," Shiv Sena party leader Trushna Vishwasrao, who submitted the proposal, told PTI.
BJP (which had earlier backed the ban), too, supported Sena and other parties in seeking a revocation of the ban, she said.
MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande said his party is only partially satisfied with the civic body's decision and said their agitation will continue till the state government too withdraws the ban on meat sale.
"Our fight is not against the duration of ban but the government's decision to prohibit people from eating what they want to. Even if MCGM revoked the ban today, the state government hasn't. We will continue to protest until the government permanently does away with banning anything that people would want to eat," he said.